KUALA LUMPUR: In 2016, total of 7,152 people died in road accidents in Malaysia, an alarming jump from 6,706 deaths in the year before, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai announced today.
“Despite the number of campaigns and initiatives conducted by the government, the painful reality is that the accident rate keeps increasing every year.
“It’s too late when tragic accidents like the bus crash in Pagoh, which claimed 14 lives, occur. There is no use accusing anyone and finger pointing then,” he said at the launch of the Chinese New Year Road Safety campaign in Sunway Pyramid here.
He added that of that number, 62.7 per cent of the deaths involved motorcyclists in 2016.
“In 2016, 6,570 fatal road accidents involving were recorded while in 2015 there were 6,193 of such cases.
Liow said a total of 521,466 accidents were recorded in 2016, an increase from 489,606 in 2015.
“A total of 80.6 per cent of the road accidents are caused by human error.
“I hope that those on the road this festive season do not speed to their destination (just) to arrive early and gamble their lives or that of their loved ones. It’s okay to be late as long as you are safe,” he advised.
The joint campaign involving the police and other transport authorities like the Road Transport Department will begin on Jan 21 and end on Feb 5.
He also said that there would be increased patrols by authorities at 102 road accident hotspots nationwide.